


First, Last, Always

by writergrrrl29



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Biting, Claiming, Destiny, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mates, Wolves, possessive Baron, shifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 02:56:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7917772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writergrrrl29/pseuds/writergrrrl29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Madeline is an Omega without a mate and Baron has been searching for a while now.  When they find each other, will they be able to make it work?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Separate Lives

Maddy looked around at all the boxes and remaining furniture and almost felt guilty for not being more upset about her mother’s untimely passing. The phone call from the police informing her that her mother had died in a car accident had come at a precarious time, as her heat was not far off, but she had dutifully made arrangements and flown to Florida to take care of what was left behind. In the eight years since she had seen her mother, the older woman had obviously decided that empty whiskey bottles and overflowing ashtrays were a legitimate decorating decision, and it had taken two full days to clean the small apartment up enough to organize the piles.

“Miss?” The man from the church to whom she was donating all of her mother’s things cleared his throat behind her. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to take with you? The guys and I can help load your car.”

Shaking her head, Maddy gave a grimacing smile. “Nothing here that I want. We, uh… We weren’t close, and your shelter needs the clothes and furniture more than I do.”

“What about pictures? A special memento?”

Maddy shook her head softly, hoping to ease some of his obvious confusion. “She didn’t take anything with her when she left us.”

“Well,” he nodded in sad understanding. “We’ll get this all out of your way and let you get on with it then.”

Maddy nodded before changing her mind. “Actually, I think I’ll go grab some breakfast while you get this handled. I’d just try to help and end up being in your way if I stayed. I’ll be back in about half an hour or so.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” His deeply tanned face split into a wide grin. “Probably do you some good to get out for a bit. Get some fresh air.”

“Well, I’ve been sleeping at a hotel, but I think you may be right.” Maddy shrugged on her light jacket and grabbed her purse. “How do you guys take your coffee? I’ll bring you some back.”

“That’s not necessary, miss. But, if you insist, we’re all good with just plain old black.”

With a light laugh, Maddy skipped down the stairs and waved to the two men leaning against the side of their large moving truck before walking down to the little diner on the corner nearly two blocks away. It was a bright spring morning, but the real heat of the day seemed to be holding off for now. The humidity was already present, making her skin feel sticky and her breaths less automatic as she dodged the early morning joggers and moms headed for the park with kids in tow. 

Cool air rushed out to meet her as she swung open the diner’s door. Pausing for a moment, Maddy let the air conditioned room chill the fine sheen of moisture that seemed to cling to every person here in the city. The lady behind the counter motioned to the empty dining area and told her to pick any seat she wanted.

When the waitress – an older woman with hair dyed a deep red – fixed her with a shrewd glare, Maddy swallowed thickly and sank into a booth. “Yes?”

“Honey, I try not to pry in other females’ business, but…”

She nodded. “I know. I had to come to town to take care of my mother’s ashes. I’ll be heading to Sheltering Pines tomorrow evening.”

“I’m sorry about your mom,” the waitress – her nametag identified her as Helen – patted her hand softly. “Breakfast is on the house. You just make sure you take care of yourself. You’re too small to be running around unguarded when your time comes.”

“I’ve heard that before.” Maddy smirked and nodded once again before ordering a full stack of pancakes and extra sides of bacon and sausage. 

Her small stature had been a bone of contention with her father’s family her entire life. Populated entirely by Alphas, none of them knew what to do with an undersized female who had no interest in sports or sleeping around with as many potential mates as possible. She was largely ignored at family gatherings, which was a blessing in its own right, and no one – including her father – bothered to come to witness her receiving any of her academic awards. She spent her days reading, studying, and dreaming of the day she would turn eighteen.

Then, in the October of her senior year of high school, she turned eighteen and her Omega mark appeared on the front of her left shoulder. 

“What’s that?” Cindy, Maddy’s half-sister had gestured with her cereal spoon. “Wearing dirty clothes to school again?”

Maddy blinked tiredly and shook her head. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve got a huge freakin’ spot on your shirt!”

Having just looked in the mirror in order to tame her wild curls, Maddy snorted. “Nice try. There’s nothing on my shirt.”

“Then you got a tattoo!”

Maddy snorted. “I did not get a tattoo.”

“Daddy!” Cindy’s voice pierced the air and brought their father to the kitchen within seconds. “Madeline’s got a tattoo! I can see it through her shirt!”

Spinning on his heel, Victor stopped suddenly. His eyes widened the barest fraction of an inch before whirling up to meet hers. He gave a hint of a chuckle before hushing Cindy and motioning Maddy into a chair at the table.

“That’s not a tattoo.” Waving his younger daughter’s protests away, Maddy’s father reached for the phone. “It’s her Omega mark.”

The entire family had gone to the physician’s to watch the verification process, everyone saying how they’d known ‘their Madeline’ was special all along. The doctor had dutifully ignored their platitudes and conversation as he probed and explored the iridescent mark. After Victor related a clearly exaggerated story about his eldest daughter being the shining example of femininity and grace, Doctor Winston met her eyes with a disbelieving gaze. Nodding his head and meeting her fearful eyes, he gave his signature on all the correct forms and then asked everyone else to leave so that he could speak to the newly discovered Omega in private. 

Victor had frowned and squared his shoulders. “My daughter is in a very fragile state right now, and I won’t leave her alone.”

The nurse who had accompanied the doctor gave an unladylike snort. “She’s no more fragile now than she was yesterday or the day before.”

“Nurse,” the doctor shook his head just a bit and received an arched brow and pursed lips in response before he turned to Maddy’s father. “Sir, there are things that I – as a doctor – am bound by law to relate to the individual themselves. What they do with that information is up to them.”

“I believe that an exception can be made in this case, seeing as how my daughter is not yet a legal adult.”

“There are no exceptions for anyone who gains a Mark after the age of sixteen unless they are somehow mentally unable to understand the ramifications. As your daughter is nearly eighteen and in perfect health – both mental and physical – there is no reason for familial involvement in the conversation.”

“Sir,” the taller man clenched his jaw and sniffed dangerously. “No one would have to know.”

“I would know.” Snapping his gloves free of his fingers, the doctor moved to hold the door. “And I am bound by law to disclose everything that happens in this office from the time an Omega enters until that individual leaves.”

Victor scowled darkly and then turned to his daughter. “I’ll be right out in the waiting room, Madeline. I expect to be fully informed before we leave.”

“Miss Decker,” Doctor Winston smiled as he turned from the closed door and motioned to the nurse. “Nurse June will be here as a witness and to make sure that I cover everything, okay?”

Maddy nodded and shifted her weight in a vain attempt to get more comfortable on the little paper-covered bench. “Okay.”

“Now, you aren’t quite eighteen yet, right?”

“Right. I’ll be eighteen on the 30th.”

Nurse June took a folder, thick with printouts and informative flyers from a tall filing cabinet in the corner. “Well, in this case, that doesn’t make much of a difference.”

Dr. Winston agreed with a small smile. “You are only the second Omega I’ve ever met, young lady. And with that title come certain … considerations.”

“Like what?” 

The doctor gestured toward the door. “You don’t seem particularly close to your family. I have a feeling that the behavior they’ve exhibited today is not what you’re used to seeing. Am I right?”

“It’s not like it matters. I turn eighteen in a few weeks anyway.” Maddy shrugged. “I just have to make it to the end of the month, and then I’ll never have to see them again.”

Nurse June smiled kindly. “You don’t have to wait, you know.”

“Really?” Maddy looked between the two of them before focusing on the doctor. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he reached for the folder and pulled out a thick sheaf of paper held together by a butterfly clip. “You no longer fall under the jurisdiction of parental care. As you’re so close to turning eighteen, you wouldn’t even have to name a trusted adult to foster you.”

“Wait, really?!”

Nurse June gave a chuckle before unwrapping the thick bracelets from her right arm and holding it up for Maddy to see the symbol on the skin there. “I was one of the lucky ones. Daniel here had been a neighbor my whole life and we knew as soon as my mark appeared that we were to be together. 

“But, it’s not like it was decades or even only twenty years ago. You won’t be forced into any marriage your father should arrange or held for ransom against your true mate. There are laws in place now that forbid families from holding an Omega against their will, places an unmated Omega can go when they need to be away from others, and even special programs to allow them to finish school without having to physically attend.”

Doctor Winston patted his wife’s shoulder before focusing on the young girl once again. “I threw them out because I get the feeling that they have never been very nice to you and thought you might like to think over your options. I’ve heard of individuals in your position losing everything by leaving their birth families, so I know it’s a lot to consider.”

Maddy was quiet for a moment, leafing through the folder they had given her and looking at the different options. “Do I have to tell them?”

“No, honey, of course not!” Nurse June smiled and wrapped her arm around her slim shoulders. “I will call for a car to take us to County Omega Relations. I’ll remain with you until you’re all settled in somewhere safe.”

“And I,” Doctor Winston chimed in, “will accompany the other officers from COR while they deal with your father.”

Maddy sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

“Hey,” June smiled secretively. “We Omegas gotta stick together!”

True to their word, the Doctor and his wifemate/nurse had taken care of all the pertinent details, making sure Maddy was safe and that her father would be unable to bother her. The dorm she was placed in housed only one other girl – a spectacularly built African American girl named Shanelle – and the two were able to finish school from there. Their teachers traveled from their regular high schools in order to administer end-of-the-year exams, bringing cards and such from those friends who had been left behind.

Her father attempted to call so often that the center began blocking all numbers associated with him. When he resorted to stopping by, a judge was contacted and immediately served a restraining order against the entirety of Maddy’s family. The State was all too happy to supply Maddy with a monthly stipend that she used to rent a small home in the wilds of western Pennsylvania hundreds of miles away from the family home in Philadelphia.

Forcing thoughts of the past away and eating quickly, Maddy ordered three coffees to go and walked back to the apartment. She would send the movers on their way with some coffee and the large assortment of boxes and the few pieces of furniture that her mother hadn’t destroyed. After that, she could get some real cleaning done before turning in the keys and getting on her way to the sanctuary for unmated females in heat.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Baron Corbin woke early, staring at the off white ceiling of his apartment and wondering how long before he could kick the sleeping woman beside him out of bed. He had a flight to catch that afternoon and needed to get a few errands done before leaving for the European tour. Glancing at the clock, he sighed and nudged the tall brunette until her eyes blinked open and she gave a disgruntled huff. 

“Need to get moving.” Baron sat up, swinging his long legs out of bed to rest his feet on the floor. “Got a plane to catch and shit.”

Brandy nodded with a pout. “Keep you company in the shower?”

Baron shook his head. “Nah, I got things to do.”

There was a flash of annoyance before Brandy nodded and climbed from the bed, collecting her things and slipping back into her clothes from the night before. “You know, this is getting a bit old. It wouldn’t kill you to let me stay for breakfast.”

“We’re not mates, Brandy.” Baron shook his head and pulled a change of clothes from his drawers. “Thought you understood what was going on here.”

“I understand that you’re an asshole!”

Baron snorted a laugh. “No shit, I’m an asshole. But, you knew that when you started fucking me.”

“It’s not like every couple is made up of true mates, you know! Would it kill you to open yourself up to having feelings for someone, you son of a bitch?”

He was in her face before the insult had fully left her lips, crowding her out of his bedroom and into the hall. “Don’t you ever say that shit again! My mom is ten times the woman you could ever pray to be. Now get the fuck out.”

Seeing her opening, Brandy spun and ran for the door. She barely paused to grab her heels and the purse she’d left on the table there. Baron fought the need to go after the woman and teach her to show respect, controlling his breathing with an iron will and reigning in the instinct to shift. If there was one thing he would never stand for, it was for someone insulting anything about the woman who had given him life. 

After showering and making sure his bags were packed, Baron walked out to meet Corey and his wifemate for a late breakfast. Eating with the mated pair was easier than dining with some of the other couples he was friends with or whom he was regularly around. Corey and Angie were affectionate and very attuned to each other, but they were not prone to overt displays most days. 

“Hey, guys.” Baron stowed his things in the trunk and folded himself into the backseat.

The married couple greeted him in return before Corey turned out of the apartment complex. “So, Brandy texted me a while ago.”

Baron scoffed. “That woman needs to get over herself.”

“She’s just trying to figure out what’s up with you.” Angie turned so she could see both of the men clearly. “Not every couple is mated nowadays.”

“But that’s not what I want,” Baron sighed and rubbed at the star on his left shoulder. “I just feel like there’s something more out there for me.”

Corey glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “More what?”

“More … real.”

The subject of Baron’s less-then-stellar love life was dropped as the group sat down to breakfast at a little open air café. The European tour was Baron’s first, and he was excited to see Whitechapel. He had been obsessed with Jack the Ripper for most of his life, and walking the same streets as the infamous killer was an exciting prospect. Corey made him promise to take plenty of pictures, and Angie told him that he should try to visit Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum as well.

“Well, it’s about that time.” Corey slid out of the booth and then reached for Angie’s hand to help her up as well. “Let’s get you to your plane.”

“Thanks for the ride, man.” Baron put enough money down to cover his part of the meal plus a tip before turning to follow the couple. “I hate leaving my car in long – term park. . . ing.”

Baron’s sense of smell – very keen even when he wasn’t shifted – caught something on the breeze. Something that smelled like warm and sweet and home and mine. It invaded his head like a drug and slid down his throat like Tennessee honey. His skin rippled in pleasure and he growled low in his throat for a moment before whipping around in search of the source.

Angie’s nose twitched. “Do you guys smell-“

“Shhh,” Corey hushed her gently and motioned to their friend. “Dude?”

“This way!” Baron turned into the wind and began running down the sidewalk, his friends struggling to keep up with his long strides. 

Reaching the corner, the crosswind obliterated the trail. Whining low in his throat, Baron waved Corey and Angie in one direction while he turned the other. After a few minutes of whipping around and checking alleys to see if he could once again pick up the trail, he returned to the corner. Angie and Corey were both arriving at the same time, both shaking their heads at his unspoken question.

“I could smell her!” Turning, Baron struck the side of the building so hard a bit of cement broke and tumbled to the ground. “My mate was right fucking here!”

“Baron, man, you don’t have time for this!” Corey took a step back and held his hands up in defense. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, man. Hear me out here.”

“What?” Baron’s voice was almost entirely a growl, people on the sidewalk skittered to give the large man a wide berth. 

“If you miss this tour, especially this early in your career, the bosses won’t forget it any time soon. Hell, skipping an overseas stint derailed RVD, and he was a star vet!”

“Like I give a fuck! My mate is out there, and close, and about to go into heat!”

Angie angled herself to slip between the arguing males. “And I’m sure she knows what to do. We’ll keep looking for her, okay?”

Corey nodded and nudged his mate to the side so he could squeeze his friend’s shoulder. “You can’t just not go, man. You have to think of your mate, now that you know you have one and she’s close. How would you provide for her if you fuck this up?”

Baron hated to admit it, but he knew his friend was right. “Okay, fine.”

“You two go on,” Angie waved them away. “I’ll stay here and walk around. See if I can narrow it down or find her place.”

Corey hugged Angie and pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking Baron by the elbow and leading him away. “C’mon, man. Ang might be a Beta, but she’s one hell of a tracker.”

Baron nodded and smirked at his friend across the roof of the car. “She’d have to be with your hell spawn!”

“Shut up and get in the car.” Corey laughed and shook his head. “Smart ass.”


	2. One-Sided Hide and Seek

Maddy stepped out of the apartment complex manager’s office with a sigh of relief. The man had raised a bit of a fuss about the condition of her mother’s quarters, but Maddy had simply shook her head and told him to bill the dead woman for it. There was no way the slimeball was going to get one penny from her, and he should really be thanking her for taking care of all the garbage.

As she walked leisurely away from the building, a wave of warmth swelled over her chest and shoulders. She was well versed in the sensation, having experienced this particular cycle twice a year for the last nine years. In another three days she would be incapable of rational thought, robbed of the ability by the base urges and instincts of her heat. Knowing that she had time before her flight and craving more pancakes and bacon, Maddy walked down to the corner diner and slipped into the same booth she’d occupied the day before.

 

Shucking her jacket as another wave of warmth ran up her legs to the small of her back, she shoved it into the corner and tossed her purse on top. She had enough time for breakfast and then she would have to hurry back to the hotel in order to gather her luggage and check out. The smell of bacon in the air had her mouth watering and she whined low in her throat before Helen, the waitress from the day before, arrived to take her order.

“Getting ready to leave, Honey?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maddy nodded. “Flight’s in a few hours. I just needed some more of those amazing pancakes and bacon before I took off for Canada.”

“You want extra bacon?”

“Yes, please! And can I have a double stack of pancakes?”

Helen made a note on her pad as she nodded. “Do all Omegas eat this much?”

“Well,” Maddy doctored the coffee Helen had brought with cream and sugar as she spoke. “I’ve never known another one close to heat that didn’t clean every plate put in front of them.”

Helen chuckled and went to put in her order. 

Maddy ate quickly, her stomach a cavernous pit now that the distraction of her mother’s apartment had been removed. There just didn’t seem to be enough food to satisfy her on days leading up to her biannual heat, and she was glad it only happened twice a year. Any more than that, and she would have to visit the gym with a lot more regularity and rigor. 

When the timer on her phone beeped, she snatched her purse and hurriedly paid for her food before ordering an Uber to arrive at her hotel as soon as possible. She really needed to make it to the sanctuary before her body went completely haywire. 

Besides, Sheltering Pines always had the best food.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“Have a good day! I love you!” Angie dropped the kids off at school a few minutes before the first bell rang, laughing as the twins trundled out of the car and went sprinting toward their waiting classmates with careless waves thrown over their shoulders. 

On a whim, she drove the couple dozen blocks over to the area where she had been the day before. If the woman Baron had smelled was still in the area, it was possible that she had gone for a morning walk the day before and would do so again. Pulling into a space at the park, Angie began walking the blocks back and forth, keeping focused on the sights and smells that accompanied the bustling streets.

Reaching the corner on which they had lost the trail the day before, Angie sighed. There was no trace of her friend’s destined mate along any of the routes she had followed. Pulling her hair up into a messy knot and securing it with an elastic band, she nearly broke her neck when someone stepped out of the diner next to her. The fragrance coming from the place smelled strongly of the other women and Angie nearly ripped the door off its hinges getting into the building as fast as possible.

Looking around, she saw … no one. The only occupant of the room was an older waitress behind the counter chewing gum while she filled sugar shakers. The scent was too strong to not be connected to something in the restaurant, so Angie took a chance and stepped up to the counter.

“What can I get you, Darlin’?” The waitress had her pen and pad at the ready, paying more attention to the little green papers than the woman in front of her.

“Um, actually, I’m here to pick something up for my friend.” Angie took a risk, hoping she was right. “She was in a bit ago and left her coat.”

Nodding, the redhead reached under the counter and pulled out a paper bag. “Had to put it in here to try to dampen the scent a bit. Pretty sure a few of the men who came in before work ended up calling off so they could go home and take care of themselves.”

“Yeah, she was pushing it a bit.” Angie couldn’t believe her luck, and tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke. “Sorry about that.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. Poor, tiny little thing was just the nicest girl, and I was sorry to hear about her mother’s passing.” She shrugged and began pouring herself a coffee. “You want one for the road?”

Angie nodded and accepted the cup of steaming liquid as she digested what she had just heard. “I should get this back to her.”

“Well, I hope you are able to get it to her before her plane takes off. She didn’t tell me what time it left, but she scooted out of here in a hurry.”

“She probably left all her packing for the last minute. I’ll most likely beat her to the hotel lobby. I’m supposed to give her a ride in half an hour anyway.”

The waitress sort of shook her head. “Well, it just goes to show you how different our generations are, I suppose.”

“What does?” Angie shifted nervously, wanting desperately to get back to her car so she could call her husband with what she’d discovered. 

“Well, if I were an Omega heading off to some exclusive, hoity-toity, Canadian island sanctuary for my cycle time, I’d hire a driver and a private plane.”

Angie wasn’t sure how she ended the conversation. She was honestly a bit numb after such a huge bombshell landed at her feet. Baron’s mate was not only out of the state by now, but out of the country. And she was an Omega. 

In heat. 

At a sanctuary he could not enter. 

And they still had no name.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Baron slammed through his weight session at the hotel gym, his shoulders and back aching with the effort. He had always been aggressive, dominating with his size and the chilling stare he had perfected in his youth, but the last two days had been more filled with barely concealed snarls and growls than usual. Even those to whom he was closest were giving the large Alpha a wide berth.

His phone rang as he was walking to the elevator, Corey’s picture smiling back at him before he accepted the call. “Find anything?”

“Hello to you, too.” Corey’s smirk could be heard from across an ocean. “Man, Angie found a few things out for you.”

Angie’s voice greeted him next before she went into her explanation, leaving out the fact that she was currently holding the other woman’s coat folded neatly and sealed inside an airtight storage bag. She started with parking and walking the neighborhood before detailing the diner and the waitress there, telling him that she’d struck up a conversation about the scent while waiting for coffee. Baron listened to everything she had to say as he made it to his room and locked the door behind him.

“So, you’re telling me we still have nothing?” Sinking down on the corner of the bed, he let his large frame flop back across the mattress.

“Well,” Corey rejoined the conversation. “Not exactly nothing.”

Angie was quick to agree. “The waitress called it hoity-toity, and said it was on an island, so I’ve been researching all morning.”

“Yeah?” Baron sat up and nodded at Sami Zayn as the other man entered the room and crossed to the bathroom as quietly as possible. “Find anything?”

“There’s only one sanctuary that caters exclusively to Omegas in the entirety of Canada. It’s on a small island off the coast of Nunavut. I emailed you a few links.”

Grabbing his tablet, Baron thanked his two friends for their help and hung up just as his email refreshed. Calling the place exclusive was like saying that Fort Knox secure. You really had no idea what was involved until you saw pictures.

The sanctuary wasn’t on the island so much it was the island. A twenty foot wall surrounded the entirety of the land, leaving only two small docks and walkways at the front and back unprotected. Visitors had to travel through three gates before gaining access to the facility. The lodge looked massive from the aerial shots, with lots of chimneys and balconies, and was situated in the exact middle of the land.

All Omegas welcome, read the website. As each individual is unique, the staff here at Sheltering Pines will have accommodations ready for each guest ready for a week before their expected arrival. 

The photographs following this statement all depicted warmly lit rooms with comfortable beds and large televisions.

The indoor pool is kept a bit cooler than normal to allow for maximum soothing of overheated skin. While formal meals are set out at specific times, there is always a buffet for those in need. Pictures of pool enclosed in a room made entirely of glass were followed by shots of a dining room and tastefully laid buffets.

Manned entirely by Betas, there is no reason to worry about personal safety while at Sheltering Pines. The walls are patrolled constantly by highly trained individuals with the full backing of the Canadian government, the United Nations, Amnesty International, International Omegas Rights Coalition, and the Center For Free Omegas. Anyone who attempts to enter the island without legal authority is subject to bodily harm and arrest.

There were no pictures to accompany the last paragraph, but Baron had no doubt that the security in such a place would be top notch. This left him torn, as he was ready to fly to Canada and rip the place apart brick by brick until he found the woman whose scent still lingered in his brain. However, he was simultaneously gladdened by the presence of a group of armed individuals who were ready and willing to take down anyone who posed a threat to his destined mate.

It wasn’t until he was alone in the shower, washing the sweat from his body before meeting everyone else in the lobby to head to the arena, that he remembered some of the rumors he had heard about Beta sanctuaries. About the devices made exclusively to aid an individual in heat. Was his future mate even now sliding a toy between her legs and sighing as the knot at the bottom engaged and brought her the relief that he should be? 

With a slight snarl at the thought, he braced one hand on the tiled wall and brought the other down to take care of the massive problem that had developed just thinking about it.


	3. Fantasy Files

“This seat taken?” The dark eyed, exotic brunet nodded toward the second chair on the other side of Maddy’s table. “If I have to sit with the blond bombshells over there, I’m liable to be chewing on their spleens by the end of breakfast.”

Maddy giggled and shook her head. “Go for it. Those catty bitches are too damn much before I’ve had my third or fourth cup of coffee.”

“A girl after my own heart,” she placed her plate and mug on the table before holding out her hand. “Name’s Alysandra.”

Maddy smiled as the light played along Alysandra’s café au lait skin. “Madeline Decker. Call me Maddy.”

“Then you have to call me Lyssa. Wait,” Alysandra flicked her eyes over Maddy’s thick writing journal and the novels by her elbow. “You’re M. I. Decker!”

Laughing, Maddy nodded. “That’s me.” 

“Oh, my God, I’ve read all of your books!”

Maddy sipped her coffee before tilting her head to the side. “Which was your favorite?”

“Either Murder Most Delicious or The Boarder, for sure! I thought you were a male!”

Shaking her head, Maddy finished chewing a bit of bacon before answering. “A lot of people think that. It’s one of those weird things: people think women can’t write convincing horror, so it’s better to put initials or a fake name on horror novels.”

Lyssa wrinkled her nose in distaste. “That’s just dumb.”

“Just the way it is. Women couldn’t publish anything at all a few hundred years ago, so there’s that.”

“It’s progress, I suppose.” Lyssa nodded at the notebook. “Can I ask?”

Maddy shrugged. “Just working on an outline, really. I’m thinking that it’s about time for Detective Sharp from The Lonely Ones to meet up with Miss Sally from The Boarder.”

Lyssa’s eyes lit up with glee. “The detective gettin’ it on with the housewife who kicks a surprising amount of ass?”

“Maybe,” Maddy gazed out over the gently sloping hills. “They haven’t told me if they’re friends or more yet.”

Lyssa shook her head and dug into the massive amount of food on her plate. “Want to go for a run after breakfast?”

“I could use a good stretch.” Maddy twisted her neck gently from side to side. “Probably going to be locked in my room from tomorrow on.”

“Yeah, it’ll be another day or two for me I think.” Lyssa nodded and pulled out her phone. “Let me give you my number in case you’re ever in Pennsylvania.”

“Wow, small world.” Maddy giggled. “I live in western PA!”

“Ha! I’m in Wharton.” 

Maddy shook her head. “We live two hours away from each other. I’m over in Sheffield.”

The women laughed as they exchanged numbers and regaled each other with tales of growing up in Alpha-filled families while they ate. With as many Omegas coming and going, breakfast proper lasted a solid two hours with buffet spreads rotated until noon. They stayed seated until cleanup began, and then went to their rooms where they shed their clothes and met up in the foyer after shifting forms. 

Alyssa looked just as toned on four legs as she had on two, and Maddy hoped she was able to keep up once they started running. Her fears were soon abated, however, once they slipped through the doors and began capering about on the lawn before shooting off toward the trees. It seemed that their paws barely touched the ground as they ran, and the joy of such freedom made them raise their voices in shared delight.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Baron paced the length of his small open kitchen and living room before circling back again. Nine strides from the door to the window overlooking the back parking lot, circle the two-person table, and then back to the door. He had been following the same route since he got home an hour before, waiting on Corey to arrive with some sort of package Angie had put together for him. When the knock came, he swung the door open with such force that his tattooed friend jumped.

“Jesus, man, leave the thing on its hinges!”

Baron snarled lightly and motioned him in before shutting the door. “Whatever.”

“Here,” Corey set down the backpack he’d carried over his shoulder. “We didn’t tell you about this over the phone. Thought you’d like the surprise after everything that’s been going on.”

“What?” Baron stopped dead at the sight of a raspberry jacket preserved in heavy plastic. “Is that . . .”

“Yeah, man. It’s how Angie was able to ask those questions and figure things out. Thought I’d bring it over to you before heading to the gym.” Returning the hug the larger man suddenly wrapped him in, Corey patted his back. “You gonna be alright?”

“Yeah,” Baron nodded. “Just gonna hang out here for today. See if I can’t figure something out.”

After Corey left, Baron poured himself some whiskey over ice and sank down on the couch with the bag in hand. Pulling it open, he was once again enveloped in the scent he wanted to bathe in for the rest of his life. Unfolding the garment, he realized just how small the woman must be to fit a jacket that size. A single black curl had been caught in the lining, and he carefully placed it on the table to save. She smelled of trees, and flowers, and wide open fields in the summer sun, and he wanted to drink it in until his skin smelled of her and there was no doubt that he had found a mate. Pressing his nose into the nylon, he crushed the material to his face and felt himself grow hard. 

Working himself into a frenzy with her smell and the thought of his hands buried in long, dark curls, he took care of the situation right there on the couch, hating how his knot swelled but was left unsatisfied. It was of no matter, however, once he thought of the mystery woman whose coat he held to his heart. No matter what sort of disappointment he was currently feeling, she would be feeling much worse. While Baron was at least able to take comfort in the knowledge of her presence, she had no idea he existed.

Having done his research and talking to Regal’s wifemate Jennifer– the only Omega associated with anyone in the company – Baron had come to understand a few things. His mate would be feeling alone and lonely, dependent on the staff of Sheltering Pines to bring her food and help keep her clean the way he should be. It was to be his obligation and joy to serve her in any way she needed during this time, and being thousands of miles away made him want to claw his skin in agony. She would not know until they finally met that he had been searching for her, and so would remain thinking herself completely alone in the world.

With a sigh, he folded the jacket and repacked it for storage. Hopefully, he’d be able to return it soon.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Maddy curled into the mound of pillows on the bed and gave throwing herself off the roof some serious thought before the pain jackknifed her again. Her back bending painfully, her legs scissored on the bed as a wave of liquid heat pulled her under for seconds or hours. When she resurfaced, it was to the sight of a heavy painkiller along with a tray of food and assorted juices left by the ever discrete staff. 

She had brought her own personal toys to assist her, and had laid them out on the opposite bedside table before the pain hit. 

While the painkillers and sex toys would help relieve the worst of the physical effects of the heat, they did nothing for the mental and emotional upheaval. Maddy was well aware that, at twenty five, she was on the older side for unmated Omegas. Many of the others she had met at Sheltering Pines had found their mates and were thus able to find companionship and relief in a more natural way. Some older women who had lost their mates but had still not outgrown the heat cycle chose to seek sanctuary at one of the locations meant specifically for their age group.

It was common knowledge that, for people like her, the heat cycle was much more demanding and brutal than it is for others. While Alphas and Betas were able to mate and find satisfaction with anyone, not just their true mate, Omegas could sleep with a non-mate, but there would be no children from such a pairing, and the experience was always mutually disappointing for all involved. With a partner who was not also a true mate, an Omega would not be able to find the mental and emotional connections needed to be happy.

Swallowing the pills with half a bottle of orange juice, Maddy scrolled through the offerings on the television. Deciding on something she had seen a hundred times, The Princess Bride, Maddy hoped the pills would kick in soon. She didn’t need a visual stimulus to aid in reaching orgasm, but she would need a soft place to land after.

The painkiller kicked in just as Fezzik began carrying a mastermind, a swordsman, and a princess up the Cliffs of Insanity, and Maddy reached for her favorite toy. When she closed her eyes, the image of large hands and bulging arms came to mind, and she sighed just a little. She hoped her true mate – when she found him – had a decent set of arms . . . and maybe some tattoos.


	4. Friendly Conversation

Maddy frowned and leaned back in her chair once again. Writing was proving to be more difficult today than it had in quite some time. Detective Sharp was more interested in hunting through someone’s garbage cans for clues than he was in Miss Sally’s pretty brown eyes and stunning figure. While that was good for her principal storyline, it did nothing to further the romantic subplot that had been running through her mind since Miss Sally first hurried through her living room to answer the front door. Miss Sally had been searching for someone like him to be a friend, confidant, partner, and lover for her entire life, and the good Detective was just traipsing along obliviously. 

With a low growl, she pushed herself away from the desk and decided that a good strong cup of tea was in order. Thinking that maybe some fresh air would help, she spent a few moments opening every window in her small cabin and propping doors open while the water heated. When that was completed, she made some lunch and then returned to work. There had to be a way to get Detective Sharp to at least look at Miss Sally as more than an especially astute and surprisingly witty housewife with whom he was forced to share the details of a murder investigation.

The days had been unseasonably cool for the middle of May, and the breeze drifting through the house brought with it the light scent of impending rain. Wanting to experience it closer, Maddy shut down her laptop, gathered up her notebook and the few notes she had taken along with her travel mug of tea to take out onto the covered porch. The wood felt cool and worn beneath her bare feet and the first few drops of rain made tiny galaxies along the front walk.

Looking out over her tiny front yard to the woods beyond, Maddy grinned. Setting everything down and shedding her clothes, she shifted and gave a short howl of joy. Dodging trees and skipping along the rocks of a shallow stream, her mind cleared as she hurtled through the forest.

Hours later, after redressing and working well past time for dinner, Maddy was contemplating her choices for food when her cellphone chimed brightly from its spot on the counter. Closing the refrigerator, she crossed the room and scooped it up. Seeing Lyssa’s name on the screen, she swiped to bring up the text.

So glad that shit’s over! Nothing like losing a whole month of your life twice a year!

Maddy found herself nodding as she opened the freezer to look over its contents before she typed out a quick answer. Yeah, I know what you mean. It always takes me one to two weeks for the heat itself and then at least a week to recover completely.

And, Lyssa returned, it’s not like they just let you live at one of the sanctuaries.

Maddy snorted and grabbed a frozen pizza. Be so much easier if they did, though. Thought you had work tonight?

What do you think I’m doing? I work at a gas station. Nooooooot like it’s rocket science, babe.

Maddy got her pizza in the oven before responding. Only because you would get too bored otherwise, and a bored Omega is no one’s idea of a good time. I still say you should sell some of your photos, but what do I know?

A few seconds later, Maddy’s phone lit up with a call, and she laughed while answering.

“Alright, smartass,” Lyssa’s voice was full of warmth. “How do you propose I do this?”

Maddy shrugged. “Start looking at those magazines you like so much and start from there. I mean, it’s not like the pictures of birds or buildings or people all just appear out of nowhere.”

“I’ll think about it,” Lyssa sighed. 

“Good. Life is too short to be that unhappy.”

“Speaking of things that make me happy … How much do you like me?”

“Meh, you’re alright.”

Lyssa laughed quietly. “Well, do you like me enough to go into Pittsburgh with me one day next month?”

Maddy shrugged, even though he friend couldn’t see. “I don’t mind the city at all most of the time. Pittsburgh isn’t like some other places.”

“Well ain’t that the truth!” Lyssa agreed wholeheartedly. “As long as no one is bothering anyone else, everyone is pretty chill.”

“Yep. So, what did you need company in the city for?”

“Well, one of my regulars got tickets to Raw on the 10th, but they can’t go because of some work thing, so they sold them to me for face value. Want to come with?”

“Honey, I haven’t watched wrestling in at least a decade!”

Lyssa made a disbelieving sound. “Girl, you are missing out on some grade A Alpha male man meat! C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

Maddy giggled at her friend’s antics. “You can’t guarantee that.”

“Oh, yes I can! We’re talking abs for daaaaaaays!”

“I’m not all that enthralled by abs.”

Lyssa laughed. “Pick a body part and we’ll find you one.”

“Again; I haven’t watched wrestling in years.”

“Then you should totally start so you can get caught up on stories and who to root for!”

Knowing she wasn’t going to get out of this, and not being sure she really wanted to anyway, Maddy surrendered. “What time would you want to leave?”

“Well, the doors open at 7:00, but we could totally just head into the city early and get dinner and a drink beforehand.”

“Do you want to drive down that morning and then all the way back here after? We wouldn’t get in until after, like, 2:00AM!”

“So we get a room!”

“Ugh! Fine!” Maddy laid on the dramatics just to hear Lyssa laugh. “I’ll get the room for two nights so we can get in and spend the whole day being idiots.”

Lyssa was quiet for a moment. “We should get Primanti’s for dinner.”

“Hell yeah, we’re getting Primanti’s!” Frowning, Maddy grabbed a piece of paper to take notes. “Can you take off for that?”

“If not, I’ll quit.” Lyssa laughed. “Not like I really need this piece of shit job, anyway.”

After they hung up, Maddy reserved a room at the Omni hotel, already anticipating having drinks in the restored speakeasy they kept downstairs. 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Baron growled as he stormed around his apartment shoving clothes and toiletries into his luggage as Corey tried to calm him down and Angie snuck articles out to fold and repack correctly. It had been nearly a solid month since the woman he knew to be his mate had left Florida to check into Sheltering Pines. That meant that she had to have left and returned to home, wherever that may be.

“It’s been a fuckin’ month, man!” The entire dresser rattled as he slammed a drawer. “She’s out there. Alone. And probably wondering where the hell her true mate is and why I haven’t come for her yet!” 

“With you getting the call up to the main roster, at least-“

“At least what?!” Baron interrupted. “I’ve got two days a week off to come home and try to find her.”

“Maybe you don’t have to.” Angie cleared her throat and stepped between the two Alphas. 

“What?” Baron fought against frowning at her. It wasn’t a good idea to show hostility toward another Alpha’s mate.

“Well, a lot of people watch wrestling, and literally thousands go to the television tapings. Maybe she will too.” Angie shrugged. “Besides, Florida is the one place we know she isn’t.”

“Okay.” Baron blinked twice before nodding. “Okay, yeah. And I can take time in between shows looking around on my own instead of always coming home. Costs more to fly all the time than it does to drive, anyway.”

Corey nodded along, fully on board with this plan. “And I remember what she smelled like, so I’ll see if I can’t scent something when we’re out doing NXT stuff.”

“It’s still a long shot, man.” Baron sighed and slumped down on the corner of his bed.

Corey nodded and chewed at his lip for a moment before smirking. “What did Brandy say when you told her you were done?”

Baron chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh, man, she’s so pissed.”

“Why?” Angie frowned and handed Baron a wad of t-shirts to refold as she went about repacking his suitcase neatly. “I thought it was just a sex thing to blow off steam?”

“Oh, it was. I made that crystal clear from the beginning.” Baron obediently folded the shirts and took over organizing his things. “Alphas just have issues admitting that they aren’t the end all/be all of whatever situation. She’s petitioning me to keep her on.”

“How would that even work once you find your mate, though? I mean, an Alpha/Omega pairing leaves no room for a third once the bond has been cemented.”

“Yeah, I think she wants to keep that from happening.”

Angie’s face was a mask of revulsion. “Why would she want to do that?! Without it, neither of you would ever feel complete!”

“But Brandy couldn’t care less about any of that, Angie. She just sees me advancing and bringing in that money, and loves what I do in bed.”

Corey shook his head. “Selfish bitch.”

“Wait!” Angie shot up from her spot on the bed, rushing to her bag by the front door. “I forgot about the news!”

“What news?” Corey questioned his wifemate and Baron wore a matching look of confusion. 

“I went through the obituaries, right? To see if I could find one for a woman that listed a daughter. But, the waitress at the diner made it sound like the girl wasn’t all that close to her mother and that the woman died suddenly, so maybe there wasn’t an obituary at all.”

Corey grinned. “But there might have been a story about it!”

Angie spent the rest of the visit taking down notes as the three brainstormed around Baron packing, trying to make sure he had enough extra clothes. He sent a prayer out to whatever power might be listening that he would find her soon. The thought of her out there in the world all alone and searching for him was nearly too much for him to endure.


	5. Pittsburgh

Angie had tried to track down every report of a sudden death in Florida, but between natural happenings, the car accidents that happened daily on the major highways, and the frightening number of shootings, the list was extensive and they finally had to give that up as a lost cause. Baron went to every show and did his absolute best each and every time, hoping to impress his bosses, coworkers, and – just maybe – his mate as well. Between television tapings and house shows, instead of flying home, he spent time driving from city to city in order to lay down his scent and take stock of the local Omega populations. 

Baron followed the same pattern for nearly a month. He would finish taping Smackdown on Tuesday evening, eat and crash for the night, and then spend the next two days searching for the faceless woman whose scent tormented him every time he unzipped his luggage. Driving and staying in cheap hotels also allowed him time to contemplate his future, and he began considering the possibility of buying a real home. 

Traditionally, the Alpha was tasked with finding a suitable location to live while their Beta or Omega mate would be in charge of making it a comfortable home for the pack. While he loved living in the apartment he currently rented within a few blocks of the WWE performance center, he was reasonably assured that he would soon be in need of more space than the one bedroom offered. On the other hand, simply because most Omegas desired children, he couldn’t be certain that his mate would be one of them, or if she would like to have only one or two later in her breeding lifetime. Frowning, he made the turn into the hotel parking lot late one Sunday afternoon as he fought against the instinct to take his mate – once he found her – and lock her in the home of his choosing. 

Perhaps discretion really was the better part of valor here. Simply because the primal, wolf part of his brain was telling him something was the right thing to do, didn’t mean that it actually was. After all, laws were written all the time that contradicted the natural order of the wild. He was pretty sure that forcing a woman to leave her life and locking her in a house somewhere would result in a kidnapping charge in every civilized country on earth. Baron might consider himself to be violent and dominant, but his mother worked hard to raise him to be a gentleman. 

And a gentleman would never do such a thing.

“Hey, Corbs!” Sami Zayn waved from across the parking lot.

Baron grinned and gathered his luggage from the trunk of his rental before wheeling it over to shake the other man’s hand. “Hey, man. You got the main event tonight, right?”

“Yeah, man. Get to get beat on before this guy,” Sami jerked his thumb at the dark haired man climbing out of the passenger seat, “does a run in for the save.”

“Finn!” Baron smiled and held his hand out for the other man to shake. “Didn’t know you got the call!”

“Just got it two days ago. Goin’ to be pullin’ split duty with this and NXT for a few weeks.”

Baron nodded. “Did the same thing, man. Exhausting, but fun.”

The three men continued speaking as they made their way through the hotel doors and into the lobby. Sami and Finn were rooming together, the two men having become friends while in NXT. Baron was, as usual, taking a room for himself. He disliked how messy a lot of his coworkers tended to be, and no one wanted to put up with him being grumpy first thing in the morning. He had been known to literally snap at people who spoke to him too soon after he opened his eyes.

Checking the time – just after 5:00 – he decided to grab some food before settling in for the night.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“Madeline,” the woman on the phone purred in greeting. “It’s been far too long!”

Maddy grinned and shook her head. “Diana! How are you today?!”

“I am quite well, though I must admit that I would be much better if I had a few chapters to read!”

Grimacing at the mild scolding in her editor’s voice, Maddy sighed. “I know! I’m sorry, but this book is just being so difficult!”

“Well, you’re deadline is in six months you know.” Diana managed to tread the line between stern and unprofessional with the ease of a classically trained ballerina. “I can give you until the end of next month. Then, I’m really going to insist on having the first four chapters.”

“Yes. Yes, of course. I have three finished already, but this fourth is being an issue.” Maddy said goodbye, repeatedly reminding herself that the other woman was only doing her job and had helped her many times in the past. When the phone rang once again, she sighed and answered before the second ring. “Hello?”

“Well, hello to you too, Sunshine.” Lyssa greeted. “Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning?”

Maddy giggled. “First, let me just say ‘ew’. And my editor is getting a bit impatient with my lack of output.”

“Well, I will be at your place in about ten minutes, if my GPS isn’t lying to me again. We’ll head to the city, have some fun, watch some damn fine individuals doing bad things to each other, and unwind. When you come home, you’ll be more relaxed. It can only help you, at this point.”

Maddy nodded and looked over her small suitcase and purse, purposely ignoring the empty laptop bag. She was leaving her work at home this time, though she did have a notebook in her purse for jotting down ideas or bits of story that popped up. “I’ll be waiting!”

Thanks to the relative emptiness of the roads on a Sunday afternoon, and Lyssa’s loose interpretation of driving laws, the two women made the normally two and a half hour drive in less than two. Pulling up to the William Penn Hotel’s front door, they giggled over the valets’ deep navy blue uniforms and smart caps and then made sure to thank the older doorman as he smiled at their exuberance. The lobby was a testament to the beauty of art deco, and Maddy was so glad she had chosen the opulent old hotel over something more modern.

“Hello, ladies,” the middle aged woman at the front desk smiled politely as she folded her hands on the mahogany in front of her. “May I help you?”

Maddy smiled in return. “We have a reservation under Decker. First name is Madeline.”

“Yes, Ms. Decker. We’ve been expecting you!” Her eyes flickered over the sigils tattooed on Maddy’s knuckles and the ink running up her right arm, but her smile never faltered as her fingers flew over the computer keyboard with practiced ease. “One room, two queens, with a lovely view of the gardens in the square?”

“Sounds perfect,” Maddy glanced at Lyssa, who gave her a nod of approval.

After getting their keycards and leading the bellhops to their room, the two women kicked off their shoes. Glancing at each other with matching grins, they launched themselves onto the beds, shrieking with laughter as they bounced. Jumping around and throwing pillows at each other for a few minutes, they finally collapsed with happy sighs.

Lyssa grinned over at her friend. “We need food.”

“Hell yeah, we do. Primanti’s?”

“Yes!”

The two drug themselves off the comfortable beds and decided to dress up a bit for their evening out. 

Sunday usually wasn’t the busiest time for restaurants, but the original Primanti Brothers in the Strip District never closed for a reason. The two women waited in line and placed their order before finding a small table in the busy diner, the smells of French fries mixing with meats and vinegar bathed slaw until it swarmed the sensed and had their mouths watering in anticipation. 

Lyssa took a few photographs of the diner and of Maddy while they waited, laughing when the other women crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. “You are so not right.”

“You’re the one taking photos of me waiting to eat!”

“I get bored,” Lyssa shrugged. “Want to wonder around and explore after this?”

Maddy nodded, but waited a moment to answer as their food had arrived. “Sure. We’ll see what kind of trouble you can get us into.”

“Nothing too exciting, I’m sure,” Lyssa snorted. “I’m not jumping any fences or running from cops in three inch heels!”

Both women laughed and dug into their sandwiches piled high with meat, slaw, and fries. 

0-0-0-0-0-0

“This place,” Baron leaned down so his friend could hear him better over the din of a hundred conversations and red hot jazz, “is awesome.”

Bobby grinned and nodded. “Hell yeah, it is!”

Baron had tweeted about being in the city, and Bobby had been quick to hit him up. There was no way Baron was going to turn down the chance to hang out with the maker of Blackcraft Cult Clothing, and the two of them eventually ended up at the Speakeasy Lounge nestled beneath the lobby of one of Pittsburgh’s most posh hotels. The walls were covered in a grey paper with black velvet designs, while the chairs at the round tables were straight-backed with deep red cushions. Benches lined the walls with more low round tables placed within reach for drinks and the small plates of food made to accompany the era-specific cocktails. 

“Corbin!” 

The jovial voice broke through the noise, and Baron turned to see that it belonged to Sami Zayne. Finn grinned and waved from his place at this friend’s side.

“Hey, man.” Baron shook their hands and then introduced them to the others sharing his table. “I was just about to go grab another round. Who’s in?”

Standing at the bar, waiting for the tumblers of scotch to be filled and placed on a tray for transport, it hit him. Honeysuckle and rain on a warm summer night. He would know that scent anywhere.

Whipping around, he nearly collided with a tiny woman, her hand landing on his lower left ribcage in an attempt to keep her balance in the low heeled boots she wore. Her emerald eyes, wide with surprise and a hint of fear as the emergence of his Alpha mark tingled against her palm, stared up and up and up at him through a few curls of long, dark hair. Her lips were stained a pretty, light plum.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Baron felt him lips twitch up into a small smile. “You’ve kept me waiting so long, girl.”

As he watched, she raised a delicately tattooed hand to mouth. Her breath came out in a barely audible “Oh.”


	6. First Impressions

Maddy twitched, unsure of where to go. Should she step closer to this unbelievably attractive man who smelled of dark nights, warm dead leaves, and – unmistakably – of homesafemine? Should she run away from this monster Alpha male whose hands looked capable of snapping her in two? Why did they have to be one and the same? While part of her wanted to run for the elevators and hide in her room, the wolf deep inside had raised her head and howled at the arrival of her longed-for mate.

Baron’s hands shook with the need to touch this tiny woman. To pull her against his chest and simply hold her and just dare someone to attempt to separate them. He wanted to trace the pictures and words running up her right arm, discovering what each one was and what it meant to her. Her Omega mark was bared by the dressy tank top she wore, though her hair obscured it a bit as it curled over her shoulders.

And that hair! He knew her scent would be strongest along her scalp and at the back of her neck, and he longed to thread his fingers through the heavy mass to bury his nose and mouth against the soft skin he knew he would find there. The long, rolling curls that reached to her hips were a deep and glistening black with a few white bits framing her heart-shaped face. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

“My name is Baron Corbin.” He cleared his throat and glanced at the bartender when his tray was set down in front of him. “Will you come with me?”

“I know who you are,” Maddy frowned and shook her head. “I’m here with a friend.”

“She can come too. “

“Where?”

“Just over there to the benches.” Baron jerked his chin to indicate the tables he meant. “Please, what’s your name?”

“Madeline Decker.” Maddy shrugged and smiled shakily. “People call me Maddy.”

Baron scented her fear, could hear her breaths shuddering in and out, and knew she was in danger of hyperventilating. Worse, he could see others beginning to turn toward them as they scented the acrid aroma of an Omega in distress. Gesturing Sami over, he waved at the tray before stepping closer to Maddy.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he tried to keep his voice calm while simultaneously resisting the urge to curl protectively around her to shield her body with his own. “Take a deep breath, okay? Slow down, or you’ll make yourself sick or something.”

“Maddy!” Lyssa wedged herself between Baron’s chest and her smaller friend. “Look, we don’t want any trouble, okay? But you need to take a step back from my girl, here, or you’ll be meeting the business end of a real expensive bottle of wine, which sucks because I’m rooting for you tomorrow night.”

Maddy felt a great swell of affection for her friend at that moment, knowing that standing up to such a large Alpha wasn’t easy, even for the much more outgoing woman. “Lyssa, I think we might have a … situation … on our hands.”

Turning her head so she could talk to Maddy while keeping Baron in her sights, she quirked a brow. “Why’s that?”

Leaning in, she had to go up on her toes to put her forehead to Lyssa’s. “He smells like he’s mine.”

“Oh?” Lyssa glanced between the two of them before her face cleared of confusion. “Oh! Holy shit, Mads, you don’t do anything by halves, do you!” 

Baron lifted the edge of his t-shirt, revealing a beautiful calligraphic “A” on his lower ribs, it’s faintly glimmering color catching the low light of the lounge. “Pretty sure we match.”

Maddy couldn’t deny that their glittering symbols appeared to be a set. “Well, um, okay. I’ve got to go ahead and admit that I am a little lost as to what to do here.”

Just as Lyssa was beginning to open her mouth, a strongly accented voice interrupted from behind. “Are ya keepin’ all the good lookin’ ones to yerself t’night, Baron?”

As the three turned to greet the dark-haired Irishman, Lyssa gave a little hiccupping sigh.

Finn’s smile stretched charmingly as he stared down at the dark-eyed beauty. “Well, hello there.”

Lyssa nodded, her expression dazed. “Hi.”

Baron chuckled and shook his head. Could tonight get any weirder? What were the odds that he and Finn would both find their mates at a lounge in a hotel in which they were not even staying, and that said mates would be friends? He had seen some strange things while traveling with the WWE, but this might be the strangest one yet.

“So,” Baron cleared his throat. “How about you ladies go grab that free table and we’ll get some drinks.”

Leaving their orders with the men, Lyssa and Maddy wove through the mingling crowd to the table surrounded by four high backed chairs. Finn was soon in possession of his own whiskey and a glass of deep, red wine. Baron was a bit nonplussed when his whiskey was placed in front of him and the bartender began carefully sugaring the rim of a cocktail glass.

“What’s in a sidecar, anyway?”

Not pausing in his movements, the man behind the bar spoke as he added the ingredients. “We use Pierre Ferrand cognac, Grand Marnier triple sec, lemon juice, and – here at the William Penn – we garnish with a rock candy swizzle.”

“Wow,” Sami slid in beside Finn. “You boys got better things to do than hang out with your friends, or what?”

“Yes, actually,” Baron nodded over at Maddy. “I found her.”

“Found who?” Sami’s look of confusion melted into one of joyful surprise as it all came together. “Holy shit, man! Really?!”

Baron smirked. “I’m not the only one. Finn seems to have scented his mate as well.”

“And they’re friends?! Oh, man, that’s so awesome!” Patting both men on the back, he left to deliver the news to the rest of the group.

Baron shook his head as he paid for his drinks. “Whole damn company’s going to know by tomorrow.”

Finn snorted. “Whole comp’ny’s gonna know by the time we get back ta the girls.”

While the men were getting the drinks, Maddy and Lyssa were getting comfortable sitting next to each other in the soft, red velvet chairs. 

Leaning over, Lyssa squeezed her friend’s hand. “You okay?”

Maddy watched Baron place his order as she nodded. “I think so. Just kind of took me by surprise.”

“Isn’t that always the way, though?” Lyssa checked her lipstick in her small purse mirror. “I mean, how many people actually grow up with their true mate?”

Maddy nodded, but then started giggling.

“What?”

Falling into full-on laughter, Maddy winked at her friend. “Well, there’s one thing you have to enjoy about your mate.”

“What’s that?” Lyssa smiled as the two men began to make their way across the room.

“He’s got abs for daaaaaaays!”

Lyssa bursting into a gale of laughter brought on another round of giggles from Maddy. Looking up at the tall men, the two dissolved into helpless giggles once again.

“So,” Baron glanced between the two slowly calming women before focusing on Maddy’s pretty jade eyes. “What do you girls do?”

Lyssa shrugged. “Being an Omega means that our bills are paid, but not much else besides the stay in a sanctuary twice a year. I worked at a gas station until yesterday, but I’m really a photographer at heart.”

“Wait,” Maddy gave her friend a confused frown. “When were you going to tell me that you finally quit that idiot place?!”

Lyssa shrugged. “Whenever we needed something new to talk about. I mean, you are the one who told me that I needed to follow my dreams and do what I love.”

“True,” Maddy shrugged and turned back to Baron. “I write.”

Lyssa snorted. “’I write’, she says. My best girl here is an international bestselling author.”

Baron blinked quickly and took a sip of his whiskey as he watched Maddy bring her drink to her lips. While he enjoyed reading from time to time, he stayed away from chick lit or anything with half-dressed men on the cover cradling buxom blondes. “Anything I may have read?”

“Well, Into the Sea and South of Sanity both did really well, but The Lonely Ones has been my biggest seller. Devil’s Daughter will be out in two weeks, and the advance reviews look really very promising.” Maddy smirked at the men’s flabbergasted expressions. “What?”

Baron frowned slightly, but quickly shook it off. “I’ve read South of Sanity. It was really good.”

“Thanks,” Maddy smiled. “Did you think I wrote romances?”

Baron was quick to answer. “Well, I wasn’t really expecting someone like you to write something that dark and twisted.”

“What do you mean, ‘someone like you’?”

“You’re just so…” He shrugged. “So pretty and delicate.”

Maddy and Lyssa both scoffed, though it was Lyssa who answered for her friend. “Honey, we might be smaller than others, but Omegas are a lot more resilient than Alphas seem to think.”

Maddy grinned and nodded in agreement. “And we look after each other, too.”

The two men nodded, both thinking about phone calls and late nights sitting around in the sanctuaries together. 

The rest of the night went much the same way, with the wrestlers asking and answering questions with their newly discovered mates. At one point, Lyssa swatted playfully at Finn’s bicep for a flirty comment. The next moment, he hissed a sharp breath and rubbed at the side of his left thigh. Lyssa shifted slightly in her seat, her eyes flickering from Finn to Maddy and back again.

“I’m going to go powder my nose,” Maddy quirked her head at Lyssa as she stood from the table.

Lyssa stood as well. “I’m coming, too!”

The two men nodded, smirking to each other over the continued mystery of women and traveling to the restroom in groups. Once they were alone, Baron ordered the two of them another round as the ladies had not finished theirs before they left the table. 

“So,” Finn raised a brow at the larger man. “Yer mate seems … shy.”

Baron nodded. “I noticed.”

“What are ya plannin’ on doin’?”

“Absolutely nothing she isn’t 100% on board with.”

Finn nodded as the waiter placed their drinks on the table. “Hard not listenin’ to that part of you that jus’ wants ta take them somewhere private, though.”

Baron smirked mirthlessly. “No argument there, man.”

The two women finished using the facilities and were checking their lipstick in the huge, lighted mirror before Maddy smiled up at her friend. “You can leave, you know.”

“What?” Lyssa frowned at the shorter girl’s reflection. “I’m not leaving you with that monster.”

“He’s not a monster, and you know it. Quit confusing real life with what you see on the screen each week. We both know you’re ready to crawl into whatever den Finn sees fit right now, and that’s fine! Hell, that’s normal. You don’t have to pretend just because I’m around.”

Lyssa chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

“Like this is the first time I’ve spent the night in a hotel all alone?” Maddy grinned. “At least one of us finally gets to get laid.”

“You know you could too, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just being stupid.”

Lyssa shook her head and turned to grasp Maddy’s chin firmly. “Girl, it’s not stupid to take care of your heart whenever possible.”

Wrapping her arms around Lyssa’s waist, Maddy led her out of the tastefully decorated washroom. “C’mon. Let’s get you back to the Irishman with the pretty blue eyes.”

“They are pretty, aren’t they?”

“Oh, gods!” Maddy sighed dramatically. “Don’t go getting all gross on me now.”

Maddy watched with a grin as, once they returned to the table, Lyssa simply made eye contact with Finn and tilted her head toward the door. 

As he went to say his farewells to the other wrestlers in the room, Lyssa pulled Maddy into a tight hug. “You’re sure about this?”

“Positive,” Maddy nodded firmly. “Call me in the morning, and we’ll get together for breakfast?”

Lyssa snorted. “Gonna have to get my clothes and stuff at some point.”

Finn made his way back to their group, smiling sheepishly. “Ready, luv?”

“Definitely,” Lyssa grinned. “Let’s blow this joint.”

Waving once more, Maddy turned to look at Baron as he put some money on the table to cover the drinks and tip. “Taking off, too?”

“Actually, I was wondering where you would be staying?”

Maddy barely raised her hand to point up. “Eighteenth floor.”

Baron knew he should nod, bid her sweet dreams, and go back to his room. The only trouble with that was his complete inability to do so. The wild, untamed Alpha part of his brain was demanding to claim his mate, to have her beneath him with his teeth in her flesh and the sounds of her pleasure in his ears. The more civilized part of himself wanted to give them both time to adjust to each other. Both of them wanted her to be safe.

Fighting past the need to growl, Baron leaned forward to speak quietly in her ear. “And it’s safe?”

“One of the safest hotels in the city.”

Maddy chewed at her lip and felt the urge to wrap her arms around the man in front of her. She still wasn’t sure if she could trust him, but wanting him close all the same. It was starting to get a little crowded in her brain, and she was going to need some sleep before dealing with it all in the morning.

“Can I trust you to not hurt me?”

Baron’s frown would have cowed nearly any other individual, but Maddy simply waited for his answer. “You know I’d never hit you or force you into something you didn’t want to do!”

Maddy did know that. It was completely impossible for a true mate to do physical harm their other half. Too bad it wasn’t physical harm that she was afraid of.

Nodding, Maddy motioned to the door. “I, um, I have an extra bed.”

It came out as a question, and Baron nodded in agreement. “Let me give Sami my room key so he doesn’t have to scramble for one?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ll wait for you.”

“You don’t want to meet everyone?”

Maddy shook her head. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back. Wait here?”

“Nah, I’ll be right outside the door.”

Baron sighed, but nodded. He knew she had lived alone for quite a while and hadn’t needed anyone to order her around. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and making decisions.

He hurried through the conversation with Sami and had to restrain the urge to shove people out of his way until he saw her standing next to the carved wooden door.

Maddy slipped the keycard from her purse and showed it to the guards at the elevators, smiling as they were allowed to step into the car and press the floor number. The ride was just starting to feel uncomfortable when Baron slowly bumped his hand against hers. Without looking, Maddy reached out her pinky and looped it around his own, smiling when he hooked his much bigger digit around hers in return.

They continued like this, his hand dwarfing her own, until he was forced to let go to allow her to open the door. Trailing his eyes over the hall, he scented for anything he couldn’t see that might cause his little mate harm. Finding nothing, he followed her into the room.

Maddy quickly gathered her things and then retreated to the bathroom to change, emerging clad in a pair of sleep shorts and an old Johnny Cash t-shirt. “Wasn’t exactly planning on mixed company.”

Baron, stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt, had stretched out on the bed nearest the door. “Starting to think you’d look good in just about anything.”

Maddy flushed and busied herself with putting her dirty clothes into her small suitcase. When she stood and turned, she nearly walked into Baron’s wide chest. With a gasp, she took the tiniest step back, but he copied her movement while wrapping an arm around her waist.

Leaning down, he buried his nose behind her ear and rumbled quietly at how strong her scent was there. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Maddy gave a jerky nod, “I know.”

He chuckled quietly, the vibrations doing much to calm her. “Then why are you shaking?”

“I – I don’t know.”

“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do, okay?”

“Okay,” Maddy slowly relaxed at his reassurance. She settled her weight against the arm around her.

Baron loved the show of trust and was unable to resist the urge to taste Maddy’s lips. Running his jaw along the soft line of hers, he drew back long enough to look into her eyes. When he saw a soft curiosity there, he brought his mouth down to caress hers. 

Baron tasted the remnants of her drink and cool night breezes on her lips, finding the combination intoxicating. The way she whimpered and sagged against him, as if her legs weren’t able to hold her weight, drew a low growl from his chest though he waited for her to make the next move. A moment later, her lithe arms wound around his shoulders and her hands found purchase in his long, dark hair as she parted her lips and tasted the heft of his bottom lip on her tongue. With a deeper growl, he slanted his mouth over hers. 

Maddy hummed in contentment, letting him control the kiss until she felt things moving too quickly. Drawing away from his mouth, she cupped his face in both hands and eased the sting of her soft rejection with a few chaste kisses of her own. “I’m sorry. I’m just not ready for all this yet.”

Baron nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Oh, Little One, I know. Just be aware that, the second you give me any signal that you are ready, I’m all in.”

Maddy giggled. “Time for bed, you big lug.”

Baron scooped her up and playfully tossed her onto the bed closer to the windows. “Good night, then.”

“Night.”

They both settled in for a good night’s sleep on the hotel’s plush bedding and the comfortable mattresses afforded them. 

When Baron’s phone alarm chimed six hours later, letting him know that it was time to get out of bed so he could change clothes and get to the gym, it was to the sight of Maddy’s sleeping body curled up next to him on the bed. She had drug the comforter from her own bed over to his rather than climb under the blankets with him. Carefully shifting her into the center of the mattress, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and began getting ready for his day.


	7. In The Steel City

Maddy smiled up at Lyssa as the other women breezed into the hotel room. “So, your night went well.”

“Guuuurrrrrl,” Lyssa rolled her head and jutted out her hip dramatically before dissolving into giggles beside Maddy on the bed. “If that’s what my mate is like now, I’m a little scared of what’s going to happen once I go into heat!”

Maddy pressed a kiss to the other woman’s dark waves, taking in her new scent which was a lovely mix of her friend and the Irishman. “I’m so happy for you!”

“How was your night? Everything okay?”

Maddy couldn’t help the blush that crept over her cheeks. “It went pretty well.”

“Oh, ho! What’s with the blush?!” Lyssa gripped her hands and wiggled her brows. “Did someone get a taste of all that ink?”

“Oh my gods!” Maddy snorted a laugh. “You are so not right.”

“Um, I think we knew that already. So … What happened?!”

Maddy shrugged. “He kissed me.”

“Was it nice? He a good kisser?”

“It was, and he is.” Maddy shrugged and smiled softly.

Lyssa grinned. “Good. Now, let’s get dressed and go shopping!”

Maddy agreed, and the two women spent the next hour taking turns in the shower and getting ready for their day of fun before Raw.

A few hours later, while their mates were sharing knowing giggles and conversation around trying on clothes, the men were just finishing their workouts at the local gym. The other men nudged each other knowingly when Finn walked in smelling of his new mate and grinning wildly. A few confused looks were shot at Baron when he continued to give off his usual scent, but no one wanted to question an Alpha about his newly discovered Omega mate. 

“Finn! Baron!” Hunter waved them over to where he was preparing a bar for the bench press. “So, I hear congratulations are in order.”

Both men nodded and shook his offered hand before he continued.

“I know you’re both supposed to be on the show rotation, but I’m going to pull you after tonight until next week’s Raw.” Seeing their matching frowns, Hunter gave a low chuckle and shook his head. “You’re not in trouble. Hell, boys, just because you’re made for each other doesn’t mean you don’t need to get to know them!”

“Um, yeah,” Baron nodded. “That sounds great. Thanks!”

“As mates of Superstars, both are absolutely allowed backstage. However, we would appreciate it if, as Omegas, they would not accompany you while in heat.” Hunter smiled and sat on the bench before he looked up at both men. “Wouldn’t want the others getting too friendly and you two ripping them apart.”

After agreeing once again and thanking their boss, Finn returned to spot Sami and Baron went back to his original room to collect his luggage and sort out a rental car. He wanted to take Maddy to her house long enough to collect her most important things and then travel back to Florida. He knew the lay of the land there, was more at ease in his own apartment in the city than most other places, and understood that none of his friends or acquaintances would make advances on his little mate.

Maddy and Lyssa were sharing a late lunch when Maddy’s phone began playing an unfamiliar tune and a picture of Baron appeared along with his name. Showing Lyssa, they both rolled their eyes before she pressed the green button to accept the call.

“Hey,” Maddy smiled and speared some of the chicken in her salad. “Did you seriously put a song on my phone just for your number?”

Baron grinned, completely unrepentant. “Hell yeah, I did! No way my ringtone is going to be the same as everyone else’s.”

Resolving to pay him back in kind, Maddy let the subject drop for the moment. “Having a good day so far?”

Baron rumbled a pleased growl at the sound of her voice. “So far. What are you up to?”

“Shopping with Lyssa,” Maddy slapped the other woman’s hand when she tried to steal a fry. “We’re just grabbing lunch now.”

“I need to grab a shower and a nap, but do you want to join us for dinner before the show?”

Agreeing, the girls finished lunch and then hit a few more shops before ending up at a boutique where Lyssa found an adorably hot off-the-shoulder dress which she paid for before wearing it for the evening. Maddy selected a red and black tartan patterned dress with thin straps and handkerchief hem. Both women were sporting black boots, though Lyssa’s featured a thin, high heel while Maddy’s were motorcycle boots with lots of buckles.

Lyssa followed Finn’s directions in order to park in the special parking garage attached to Consol Energy Center. Neither woman had ever been privileged enough to park in the covered, multi-layered area – normally reserved for members of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, their staff, and visiting entertainers – and were both excited to see how all the backstage stuff worked. A security guard checked their IDs against a list on a clipboard and handed them lanyards that had been left for them before directing them where to park.

“So, I like the whole not paying to park thing.” Lyssa smirked and pressed the button on her keys to lock the car. “I almost feel like locking up is redundant.”

Maddy shook her head at her friend and then gestured to the guard standing next to a closed metal door. “After you, your highness.”

Lyssa linked her arm with Maddy’s and the two women showed their badges. With a nod, they were sent through the door. Soon after, an assistant of some sort wearing a headset and a harried expression rushed up to them with instructions to bring them to catering as soon as they arrived.

It quickly became apparent that their presence was causing a stir. The first indication was when one of the techs dropped a heavy equipment case on his foot as the trio drew near. The sound guy’s exclamation of ‘holy shit, two Omegas?!’ echoed around the arena and had everyone laughing in response. A group of female wrestlers, their hair perfect but their faces clear of any makeup, waved as they passed them on the journey to get dinner before the show later that evening.

Baron nodded to the assistant as he slipped his arm around Maddy’s shoulders. “I got it from here.”

“Yes sir,” the woman nodded and took off like a shot.

Maddy frowned after her, but felt herself smiling as her tall mate pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Do they always move like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like their heads are on fire, and their asses are catchin’.” Maddy gave a bit of a start at Baron’s eruption of laughter, though she noticed how everyone seemed to jump and stare. 

Finn appeared before Baron could answer, however, and slipped his hand around Lyssa’s as they walked. The conversation was soon taken over by discussions on the girls’ favorite wrestlers. The men were both glad to hear their names included on the lists, though Maddy freely admitted that she hadn’t watched wrestling since she was in school, and so felt that her pool of options was somewhat limited. 

The quartet soon made it to the area that had been set up with folding tables and rows of plastic chairs. Baron gestured Maddy to a chair, sighing in relief as Finn did the same to Lyssa, before traveling to the buffet tables to fill some plates. It wasn’t the wilds, and he was walking on two legs instead of four, but the drive to bring his mate food was the same regardless. 

Using the metal tongs, he quickly scooped two chicken breasts and a couple large spoons of steamed vegetables onto his own plate before moving on to preparing one for his mate. Each bit of meat was scanned for imperfections or insufficient seasoning coverage. The salad mix was likewise picked through until the small bowl was filled. Bypassing anything too heavy, he took three different types of dressing so that she might pick her favorite among them. When he placed his findings down in front of her, the smile he received inflated him enough that his chest swelled noticeably. 

The lights playing off Maddy’s dark curls had him frowning and leaning closer for a better look. What he had thought upon their first meeting to be black curls were in fact drastically different. Oh, there were black locks there, but so much more as well. Deep hunter green and soft emeralds were mixed in with deep midnight blue and different shades of brown. The bits he had thought to be white also contained strands of silver and matte grey. The whole effect was one of a foggy forest at night, and it was stunning.

“Thank you,” Maddy unwittingly interrupted his musing. 

Shrugging, Baron began cutting his own food. “No problem. Pack’s got to eat, right?”

“Yeah,” Maddy fought back the memories of her half siblings and father devouring nearly every scrap of food she had prepared until she was left to scrape up the burned or greasy bits stuck to the pans. “So, who do I talk to in order to get one of your shirts?”

“Turns out, I know a guy.” Baron chuckled at her giggle, watching as Finn and Lyssa spoke quietly over their own meals. “You look really nice, by the way.”

Maddy blushed as she admitted, “I kind of hoped you would like it.”

“Well, I definitely do.”

“So, how does this work?” Motioning between them with her fork, she continued. “You finish your show, I go home, and then … what? We talk on the phone? Skype? Send homing pigeons? Morse Code?”

“Smoke signals, mostly.” Baron shook his head. “Actually, I’ve been given the week off so we can have some time together.”

“Is this you inviting yourself to my house?”

“It’s me inviting you to hang out with me as much as possible over the next six days before Raw in Bridgeport.”

Maddy nodded and nibbled at her salad before smiling once again. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

Choosing to ignore her rattling nerves, Maddy instead let the swarm of butterflies in her stomach lead her. “I have waited too long for my mate to half-ass anything right now. I may be scared, but I do want this to work.”

“It’s okay to be scared, you know.” Baron sipped his water and nodded at her half-finished food. “Finish eating, and we’ll go get you a shirt. Then, after the show, I’ll drive us back to the hotel or to your house. Whichever works for you.”

After dinner, the men went to go get ready for their matches and the women posted up in the common viewing area where monitors had been set up for the wrestlers to watch the show. Lyssa was sporting a “Bulletproof Balor Club” shirt, which she had selected in a size that fit her snugly and then had Maddy cut the neck so it followed the line of her dress. Maddy had simply stolen Baron’s shirt before he could stop her, smiling at his playfully annoyed growl. Cutting it so that it slid off one shoulder, she stole one of his bootlaces to cinch it in at the waist. 

Both women were just enjoying all the pre-show preparations when a tall brunette walked by. She stopped mid step, her hair sweeping over her shoulder as she turned to look at the friends. Her eyes flicked over Maddy’s shirt before meeting her eyes with a small, self-satisfied smirk. Without a word, she scoffed and strode away.

“Wow,” Lyssa frowned. “Rude.”

Maddy shrugged and went back to watching as one of the women in charge of makeup applied eyeshadow to Sasha Bank’s flawless skin. “Guess she doesn’t want to be friends?”

“Brandy isn’t goin’ ta be friends. Have ta be human, first.” Becky Lynch plopped down beside the two women and held her hand out with a smile. “Becky.”

“Lyssa,” she shook the Irishwoman’s hand and motioned to Maddy. “This is Maddy.”

“Aye, I know who ya are! Finn couldn’ stop gushin’ about ya this mornin’.”

Lyssa nodded, “and he’s told me so much about you already!”

Maddy and Lyssa sat backstage talking with the various wrestlers until it was time for them to get to their seats, thanking the security member who escorted them after they assured their mates that they would be perfectly fine watching from club level and absolutely did not need to sit backstage waiting for them. Maddy got a kick out of seeing so many little kids with their wrestling t-shirts and signs. There were quite a few creative ones that she pointed out to Lyssa. All the people in the seats around their own were very nice, and no one batted an eye at the two Omegas in their midst. Halfway through the show, Lyssa informed her that she and Finn would be leaving directly after, so Maddy decided she and Baron would wait for the next day since the hotel room wouldn’t be refundable at this point.

The show went well, with Finn winning his match and Baron laying waste to everyone in the ring when he lost his, and the two couples returned to the hotel long enough to gather Lyssa’s things. Baron had rented a large SUV for the week, claiming that he hated trying to fold his long legs into a sedan. Maddy simply shrugged – being just five feet tall, she didn’t share that particular problem – and hugged her friend goodbye.

“So,” Baron grinned when he felt her pinky wrap around his own once again. “Ready to call it a night?”

Maddy wrinkled her nose. “I’m kind of hungry, actually.”

“Anywhere for eating clean this time of night?” Seeing her disbelieving gaze, Baron raised a brow. “Best place for pancakes, then?”

“Ritter’s!” Fully clasping his hand, Maddy attempted to drag him to the garage only to have him stay perfectly still. “Oh, come on!”

The feel of her cool hand tucked securely within his much larger one sent his heart racing. He watched as Maddy attempted to move him again and again. When it looked like she was about to give up in frustration, he bent his elbow just as he stooped down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

Chuckling at her pout, he slowly began to walk down the sidewalk, mindful of Maddy’s need to take two steps for each one of his own. Stretching her fingers, she clasped his hand tightly. Bringing their joined hands to his lips, he brushed her knuckles with a chaste kiss.


	8. Cabin in The Woods

Maddy hummed quietly and snuggled into the welcoming warmth of Baron’s chest as his arms moved to cradle her more securely. The night before, he had raised the edge of his blanket and smiled when she slipped between the sheets and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. Turning his head, he captured her lips for just a few moments before leading her to lay against him with a guiding hand on the back of her neck. She had the best sleep of her life there, bathing in the warm, spicy scent of her mate.

“Morning,” Baron rumbled as he began to rub one hand over her spine.

“Morning, baby boo.” Maddy yawned before pressing a kiss to the underside of his chin, but started giggling when he snorted in response. “What?”

“No way in hell, Little One.”

“Why not?” Maddy couldn’t stop giggling long enough to even feign being hurt.

“It’s stupid, and there’s nothing ‘baby’ about me.”

Maddy pecked him lightly on the corner of his mouth. “Snuggle muffin?”

With a stern glare, Baron rolled so she was under him, caged by his arms and chest. “Screw that.”

“I know!” Maddy draped her arms over his shoulders are she smiled up into his chocolate eyes. “Snoogums!”

“Girl, you are insane.” Baron shook his head before cutting off her laughter with a soft kiss, reigning himself in with iron control. It would do neither of them any good for him to get carried away. “C’mon, Hatter. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Maddy slowly followed him out of bed, collecting her things to pack while he gathered clothes to take into the bathroom for his shower. “Hatter?”

“Yeah,” Baron grinned. “Because you’re fucking insane!”

Maddy’s laughter followed him into the bathroom.

After showering and packing, the new couple checked out and was soon on the road to Maddy’s house in the woods. As they drove, she pointed out all the places along the way that she loved to visit or tried to avoid. The city soon disappeared behind them, and the rolling hills, farmland, and forests soon took over. Maddy supplied directions, laughing when Baron stopped the SUV in order to take a selfie next to the sign for the state route that runs directly through her town.

State Route 666 had seen more than one of such photographs in its lifetime, she was sure.

Baron decided that Maddy’s little cabin in the woods was just like her: cute, sweet, and tiny. The front porch was covered and deep enough that the sun would barely ever touch the floorboards. The screen door was trimmed in a light pine while the inner door was a solid oak that featured a deadbolt and one small window instead of a peephole. There was a fireplace in the living room/office area, and the kitchen was just big enough to fit a two person table and chairs beside the back door. Her bedroom was at least large enough for a queen sized bed, and her television was perched atop a chest of drawers in the corner.

“I know, I know,” Maddy made a placating motion with her hand. “It’s too small for anybody but me to be in here.”

Baron nodded. “It’s pretty tiny, Babe.”

“Well, not all of us can be giants.” Maddy shrugged. “Besides, I love it for the outside as much as for the inside.”

“Why? What’s outside?”

“Uh, the woods? It’s nice to be able to run without people around to stare at me.”

Baron frowned as he unzipped his bag to begin placing his things in the drawer Maddy was emptying as she spoke. “Why would they stare?”

“I’m smaller than a lot of others, even when I shift.”

Whipping his head around, Baron stared at his little mate. “You still shift?!”

“You don’t?!”

“Why would I?” Baron shuddered. “I haven’t shifted since I was thirteen and figured out how to make it stop!”

Maddy sighed and shook her head, saddened that her mate would purposefully disconnect himself like that. “I’ll never understand why someone would do that to themselves.”

Baron snorted. “Do what? Control their body and instincts?”

“No. Intentionally cut themselves off from a very real, important part of their existence!” Maddy chewed her lip. “Every Omega I’ve ever met at the Sanctuary or elsewhere has continued to shift into adulthood.”

“Ah,” Baron nodded, concluding that it was something undisciplined Omegas did before mating.

Maddy chewed her lip as she watched Baron unpack. “Want to run with me later?”

Baron turned, a firm denial on his lips, but stopped himself quickly. Maddy was biting her lip, looking like she wanted to chew right through the plump, pink flesh. Her hands were fidgeting in front of her, thin fingers twisting together. She kept her eyes trained on his, though she flinched like it was costing her to do so.

“Maybe after dinner,” he sighed. Seeing the heavy plastic bag in the bottom of his case, he reached for it in trepidation. “So, I hope you aren’t mad, but I have something that belongs to you.”

It took Maddy a few moments to understand what she was seeing. Once she saw the bright red jacket, she snatched it from his hands. How in the world did he get her coat?

“Where did you get this?” Waving the hooded garment around, Maddy faced him with her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. “Why do you have this?!”

Sighing, he sank down on the edge of the bed and attempted to tell her the entire story. Maddy listened, her arms crossed over her chest, as he recounted how he had smelled her on the street down in Florida. She had to admit that his friend had been smart to take the coat from the diner.

“Is that why you whipped around the way you did at the bar? You scented me?”

Baron stood and crossed the room in three easy strides. “You are the best thing I’ve ever smelled in my life.”

“Well,” Maddy fought her blush. “I guess it’s not as creepy as I thought.”

Baron shook his head and slipped his arms around her waist. “It might be a little creepy, but I swear I didn’t mean it to be. I just wanted something to keep you with me until I found you.”

“Okay, that’s pretty sweet.” Looping her arms around his neck, Maddy led him down to meet his lips with her own. 

After indulging in a short make-out session, Baron spent a few hours doing body weight exercises before taking a shower and then napping before supper. He had wanted to spend the entire day staring at Maddy, or maybe just holding her against him, but she had had other ideas. Letting him know where everything was located, she had stated that she needed to get to work. He stole glances of her making coffee and then typing as he completed his squats and moved on to push-ups.

Maddy nodded and then took care of her clothes before picking up a few things around the house and settling into an approximation of her normal routine. She watched Baron stretch as she brewed a pot of coffee, savoring the sight of his inked arms as well as the smell of the dark liquid. She managed to breeze through the chapter that she had struggled with for nearly a week in the matter of four hours, her coffee repeatedly going cold in the cup before she tasted it. In the last paragraph, Detective Sharp was in the middle of lecturing Miss Sally on the importance of basic gun maintenance when he happened to realize just how lovely her big green eyes were in the summer sun. 

Baron woke before Maddy was finished with her writing, so he scribbled a note that he left of the counter and made a quick run to the grocery store to pick up steaks and some fresh vegetables. A mother and son recognized him in the produce section, but simply waved and moved on. No one seemed concerned with the nearly seven foot tall Alpha in their midst, and he was soon back with provisions.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Maddy waved at him happily, his note between her fingers, as she spoke on the phone. “I got home this morning and that fourth chapter just flew out of me.”

Diana’s voice was bubbly and light. “That’s wonderful!”

“I’ve just emailed those first four chapters to you.” Maddy smiled at the older woman’s enthusiastic response and watched as Baron moved around her tiny kitchen locating spices and preparing the meat.

“So, dear, it appears as if the small break really did help.”

Maddy nodded to herself, her eyes fixated on Baron’s large hands as they sliced onions and threw them in the skillet to caramelize. “Yeah, there were a few … developments.”

Her editor gasped in a playfully mocked shock. “Would one of these ‘developments’ come in the form of a little playmate?”

Maddy snorted. “Not so little, and not for play.”

“Oh, my! Madeline!” Diana laughed a rare, genuine shriek of laughter. “I’m so happy for you! What’s his name? What does he do?”

“His name is Baron and he’s a wrestler with the WWE.” Maddy nudged her way under his arm to grab a pan for the corn he had bought as she spoke.

The phone was silent for a few seconds before Diana chortled lightly. “Oh, isn’t he just a lovely hunk of man meat!”

Maddy snorted, and Baron smirked. “He can totally hear you right now.”

“Oh, I’m sure he knows how attractive he is by now.”

Baron raised a brow and pressed a kiss to the side of Maddy’s head, trying to keep from laughing. “Tell your friend I say what’s up.”

“Oh, just listen to that voice!” Diana purred.

Maddy held the phone against her chest to muffle her voice. “She’s my editor.”

“Well, I’m going to let you go so you can focus on him. Great job getting those chapters to me, and don’t forget that you’re hard deadline is in four months!” With that, the phone went dead.

Maddy sighed and set it down on the counter away from the food. “You just gave half of New York’s writing scene something to gossip about.”

Baron laughed and put the corn on the stove. “Well, maybe they need to find better things to do with their lives.”

“Not going to argue against that one.” Maddy gestured to the grocery bags still on the counter. “Need help?”

“Not unless you want to set that matchbox you call a table.”

Maddy grinned. “Want to eat outside instead? It’s a nice night, and there’s more room out there.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe.”

“Thanks for cooking, Pumpkin.”

Baron snorted, but refrained from commenting. It was sort of fun to see what she would come up with next. Also, being called pumpkin wasn’t as bad as baby boo. Maddy brushed a kiss over his shoulder and then moved to do her part for dinner preparations while Baron seared the steaks. 

Dinner went well, though it took Maddy a moment to draw him into a conversation about his family and what his life was like before wrestling. “I get that you’re a private person, Bear. But, it’s not like I’m some reporter here!”

Baron snorted and shook his head. “I’m a wolf, not a bear.”

Once he opened up, the words flowed with ease. She was glad to hear that his mother and father – both Alphas – had taken care to teach their children that Omegas should be allowed to make their own choices. Many Alphas simply decided that they knew what was best for their mates, and the other person was forced to either go along peacefully or live in constant conflict with their mate. 

“It’s good that you don’t see me as being beneath you.” 

“Just because you’re not an Alpha doesn’t mean you’re not equal to me, or anyone else. Not easy fighting the instinct to protect and shelter. I’m trying, though.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” Maddy pushed her half-eaten steak away and settled back to sip her tea. “There’s no way I could live that way anymore.”

Catching her mistake too late, Maddy bit her lip and flicked her eyes up to meet Baron’s dark gaze. “There’s ice cream if you want desert.”

“Anymore?” Baron frowned darkly, suddenly coming to the realization that there were no family pictures in her house and that he had never heard her mention anyone from her past. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Maddy shrugged in what she hoped came off as nonchalance and stood to take their plates inside. “Want that ice cream?”

“No,” Baron followed behind her and watched as she scraped the plates and put them in the dishwasher. “I want you to tell me what the hell someone did to you!”

Maddy sighed dramatically and slumped down on the couch. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

Not buying it for a minute, Baron shook his head and scooped Maddy into his lap. “Oh, it’s a very big deal, Little One, and I need you to tell me what happened.”

Maddy curled into him, just enjoying his arms around her. It felt so nice to let go and be taken care of for once. Baron’s scent invaded her head, and she pressed her nose into the crook of his neck in inhale more. 

“My mother and father weren’t true mates. They hooked up in college, she got pregnant, and then left after he met his true mate when I was three.” The story poured out of her as his large fingers ran through her curls. “I was left with him, since he was the Alpha in the situation and you know how that works. 

“My father and his Alpha Wifemate, Debra, had six Alpha children.” Maddy shrugged helplessly. “Not a lot of room for a girl who gets dwarfed by her younger siblings by the time they’re ten and isn’t interested in sports, overachieving in school, or finding the best possible person to mate with until her true mate appears.”

Remembering some of the stories he had heard over the years, Omegas being locked in basements for months while their families ransomed them off to their wealthy true mates or the highest non-mate bidder or being used as slave labor by their bigger and more violent families, Baron didn’t fight the growl that rumbled in his chest. Tightening his hold, he turned his head to press a kiss to her curls. The warmth and slight weight of his little mate in his lap was the only thing keeping him from pacing angrily.

“How bad?”

Maddy closed her eyes and soaked up the comfort offered by her mate’s embrace. “Not as bad as some others.”

“Not asking about others, Baby.” Nudging her face up to look into her eyes, Baron made sure she understood how serious he was. “I want to know all about you. Like you know about me.”

Maddy nodded and took a deep, calming breath. “I did all the housework that no one else wanted, which was pretty much everything.”

Suddenly, the gates opened and all the anger and disappointments of life came pouring out of her like the Orc armies of Mordor. “Debra and Victor – my father – used me as a scapegoat for everything that went wrong, even if it were something behavioral on the part of one of the others. The morning my Omega mark appeared, they all went with me to the doctor for verification, and acted like everything was fine! Like I hadn’t spent the night before picking bits of burned meat from the bottom of a skillet in an effort not to go hungry. 

“I just knew that they were going to try to keep me locked up. Maybe use me in one of my father’s business deals. But the doctor understood what was going on and he helped me.”

Maddy dissolved into tears, broken up only by Baron’s constant growl. Turning into him, she burrowed into his chest and sobbed. It should have embarrassed her to behave in such a way, but the way he held her and began making quiet shushing sounds allowed her to let it all go. The hurt and pain of her past had no place in her current life. Those areas were now occupied and filled by a mate who smelled of late Octobers and home.

Baron pressed kisses to the top of her head while petting her and whispering quiet words of affection into her curls. It felt like hours before she calmed enough for his words to make sense. When she finally pulled away, he was greeted by bloodshot eyes and a tremulous, sad smile.

It was that smile that nearly broke him.

Pulling her in with a gentle hand, he kissed her softly as he wracked his brain searching for something to cheer her up. When the idea came, he fought it for the briefest of moments before giving in. Placing her beside him on the couch, he toed off his shoes and socks before smirking at her now confused stare.

“So, you’re probably going to have to walk me through shifting. I haven’t done it in almost twenty years.”


	9. Into The Woods

“So…” Baron frowned as he looked around at the small side yard. “Why am I standing in your yard wearing my boxers?”

Maddy giggled and wiggled her bare toes in the soft grass. “I can shift on the porch, or even in the house I guess, with no problem. But you’re huge! Didn’t want you hurting yourself or tearing a support post out.”

“… And the boxers?”

Maddy shrugged. “Clothes are weird to shift in and sometimes aren’t there when you shift back.”

Conceding the point, Baron made a circular gesture with his hand. “What do I do now?”

“Relax”

“I’m not upset; I’m just trying to figure out how to do this. Little out of practice, babe.”

Maddy snorted. “Cool your jets, Sugar Britches, I meant that what you need to do is relax.”

“Sugar Britches? Really?” Baron tried to keep his legendary stony gaze, but eventually gave up with a chuckle. “And what do you mean, ‘relax’?”

“You said yourself that you haven’t shifted since you learned how to control it, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s the same with my brother and sister.”

Maddy nodded. “From what I can tell, it’s the same with most Alphas and a lot of Betas as well.”

“So?”

“So, you have to learn to control it because it’s a natural thing for our bodies to do. It’s like those people who do unassisted deep sea dives. They have to learn to control their breathing so they can do what they want. You’re actually using more energy to stay this way all the time than you would if you shifted.”

Baron frowned. “Doesn’t feel like I’m using any energy or putting in any effort at all.”

“Just because you’re used to the feeling.” Sighing, Maddy plopped down among the daisies and violets and held her arms out. “C’mere.”

“What?”

“Come. Here.” Maddy patted her thigh lightly. “Just come lay down with your head on my lap.”

Not seeing a downside to that arrangement, Baron did as she suggested. Stretching his long legs out and folding his arms comfortably across his chest, he pillowed his head on his mate’s trim thigh. The breeze caught his hair lightly, playing the strands around his face until her slim fingers took over. With a happy groan, he closed his eyes and submitted to her gentle ministrations. 

The air around them slowly began to smell of Maddy, the honeysuckle and night rain calling to him. Rolling, he nuzzled into her stomach, breathing his mate in and wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her still. When Maddy hummed lowly and continued to scratch over his scalp lightly, he worked the hem of her shirt up to press his face to her bare flesh. When the urge to lick her creamy skin washed over him, he simply went with it.

Pushing her slightly, he stretched and followed her down to the ground. His nose buried in her hair, he lapped lazily at the skin beneath her ear. Baron’s eyes slid shut, savoring her low moan and the knowledge that his mate was there with him. The feeling of absolute peace and rightness that seeped into him from her smell and the carefully measured movements of her hands soon had him nearly boneless against her chest.

There was a strange stuttering in his chest, and then Maddy’s scent grew nearly overwhelming as she gasped quietly. Opening his eyes, he nearly panicked at the difference. The night was suddenly alive with sounds and movements, everything so crisp and clear as the sun began to set behind the distant hills. Looking up, Maddy smiled back. 

“I knew you could do it,” she sighed and twisted out from under him. 

Baron’s large form had been replaced by that of a giant wolf. His fur was a beautiful coal black, matching his dark eyes. Maddy pressed a congratulatory kiss to his forehead and sighed happily. It was going to be so nice to have someone to run with for a change. 

A moment later, her human form was replaced by a small white wolf, her bright green eyes smiling out at him. With a yip of excitement, Maddy danced backward toward the tree line. Baron huffed, his legs feeling strange and rubbery, refusing to hold his considerable weight before he was able to put it all together and follow her slowly. 

Sidling up to her larger mate, Maddy nibbled at his cheeks and snout to show him how happy she was to be on four legs together before trotting a few yards ahead and then taking off at a dead run, her feet skimming over the rich dirt of the forest floor. Baron gave an angry warning bark, wanting her to stay by his side at all times, but Maddy simply howled and danced around him. Unable to contain his amusement at her antics, he began cantering and then running with her until they were tearing through the underbrush and across the many small streams in the forest, their howling duet singing out to all who could hear.

O-O-O-O-O-O

Maddy came back to human form on a breathless laugh, her bare feet dancing over the grass as she turned to watch her mate. She had loved running through the streams and trees with him, the night wind ruffling their fur and the crisp water slaking their thirst. She was never more alive than when she was out running in the wild.

Baron took a bit longer to put it all together, first shutting off senses and then concentrating on finding his human features. When he did eventually make the switch from one form to another, he gave the tiny woman a wide smile. He had been surprised by how much he enjoyed the last few hours, having remembered his years of unexpected shifting as frightening and far from fun. Running through the night forest with his mate, however, he had found a wild delight in their shared joy and harmonious howls.

Maddy’s giggle drew his eyes away from the fireflies and trees and to her tiny form on the porch. She had scooped his shirt up from the pile of clothes, the neckline drooping to the side and showing off one slim shoulder. The hem grazed her thighs alluringly, and he wanted nothing more than to trace the skin there.

Reading the hunger in his gaze, Maddy shifted from foot to foot. Her heart threatened to shatter her ribs with its rapid beats, and her hands fluttered between her disheveled hair and the short hemline of his shirt. One of the quotes on her right arm caught her eye “life shrinks or expands …”, and she took a deep breath before meeting Baron as his feet touched the bottom step. Holding his gaze with her own, even for once, she looped her arms over his shoulders and drew him into a soft, gentle kiss.

Baron could feel the nervous energy rolling off his little mate, but was enjoying her attentions too much to question her on it. Maddy’s tongue flicked against the seam of his lips, and he allowed her in with a soft, approving hum at her boldness. Letting her lead the kissing, Baron simply enjoyed the feeling of her taking so much control.

“Baron,” Maddy pulled back to whisper against his lips.

Baron nibbled at her when he couldn’t draw her back in. “Yeah?”

Maddy took a deep breath, hoping she was making the right choice. “Take me to bed.”

Baron was sure his eyes bulged out of his skull before he seized control of his body and focused on her soft face. “What?”

“Take me to bed, Alpha.”

She was in his arms and the door was slamming behind his heel before her words faded on the night wind. He carried her through the small cabin and into her room, his mouth never leaving her skin. Nibbling along her jaw, he dropped her feet to the floor and slid her borrowed shirt over her head.

Baron had always been a fan of black lace on a woman, but the sight of Maddy’s light blue panties trimmed in delicate white lace had him rethinking that. “Jesus, you’re stunning.”

Maddy blushed lightly and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure you’re the good looking one in this relationship.”

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he chuckled. “Going to have to agree to disagree on that one, babe.”

The scent of Baron’s excitement swamped the room in pheromones, drawing a pleading whine from the back of Maddy’s throat. The rush of liquid heat started at her core and spiraled out until she sagged against him, all liquid silk and flushed skin. When his thigh slipped between hers, her wanton moan had him growling possessively in response. 

Nudging her softly, he urged her back onto the bed. His big body followed her down, settling between her thighs and caging her head with his elbows. Pressing light kisses along her jaw, he nibbled down her neck to where it joined her shoulder, sucking lightly as she undulated against him. When his mark was a lovely deep pink and he was satisfied that she would be wearing it for a few days, he skimmed his teeth over the skin just to hear her breathless gasp.

Maddy was far from idle. Determined to take an active part in her first experience, she slid her thighs along his, luxuriating in the fine hair and defined muscles there. Carding her fingers through his hair, she held his mouth to her throat and turned her head to lick and nibble over the skin of his neck and shoulder. 

Moving his mouth down to her chest, he licked and sucked at the rosy peaks there before taking one fully into his mouth and loving it with his teeth and tongue. Maddy’s groan spurred him on, and he reached between them to tease her through her panties. He petted and rubbed at her until her excitement had soaked through the material, loving the way she responded to his ministrations. Kissing her once more, he shifted around until he was able to work the offending garment over her hips so she could kick it away.

The scent of her arousal mixed with the need to possess her body fully had him growling low in his chest until she tipped her head back, instinctively submitting to his larger size and greater knowledge. Maddy was lost in a sea of pleasure, knowing that he would anchor her. Her grasping hands stopped him from moving lower, instead bringing him in for another deep kiss.

“Please,” she whined and rubbed against his body. “Please, Baron.”

He fought for control even as they worked together to remove his boxers. “Want to taste you.”

“Not now.” Maddy shook her head, trying to form coherent sentences when thoughts were sliding through her mind like sand through a sieve. “Just, please!”

Pressing his forehead against hers, Baron held her gaze as he spread her legs wider and then slowly guided his hard length to her weeping core. Nudging his way inside, he steeled his resolve to not hurt her by going too quickly. The barrier he encountered gave easily, her excitement and his careful preparations aiding him in his goal, and her body received him with a sigh of wonder.

He worked her slowly, drawing confidence and joy from the quiet moans and whimpers that rewarded his efforts. 

Maddy couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt to have him inside her, and she gave a thought of thanks that her personal toy collection had contained a few larger devices. She sighed as he once again kissed and licked over the column of her throat, stretching beneath him to offer more skin for him to taste. When he took the opportunity to curve over her, taking one of her nipples into his mouth once again, Maddy was suddenly careening toward an orgasm the likes of which she had never had before. 

Sinking her nails into his sides, she felt him shudder above her a moment before she was oblivious to everything but her own pleasure.

Baron danced along the edge of his completion, marveling at his mate’s responsiveness and barely resisting the urge to pound into her until he came. When she gave a throaty shout and sank her nails into the tender flesh of his ribs a heartbeat before her walls clamped down and then fluttered around him, he had a moment of satisfaction before he followed her.


End file.
